Baseball Takes Series Opener Against Rangers

Atkins allowed just two runs in five innings of work as the Bucs defeated Wisconsin-Parkside 5-2 Friday night. Photo by Joel Auerbach.

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Barry University’s baseball team improved to 9-2 on the season with a 5-2 win over Wisconsin-Parkside Friday night at Feinbloom field.

Barry (9-2, 0-0 SSC) scored four of the five runs in the first two innings with one in the first and three more in the second. Billy Atkins (2-1) took the hill for the Bucs and scattered seven hits, but only allowed two runs in five innings of work to pick-up the win.

Wisconsin-Parkside (0-1) faced a tough task having to play a Buccaneer squad that had already played ten games this spring, in what was the Ranger’s season opener.

A few defensive miscues led to a pair of runs for the Bucs who capitalized on the mistakes early on to grab the 4-1 lead.

Tyler Kellmann added another run with an RBI single up the middle in the sixth inning to score J.C. Cardenas and stretch the Bucs’ lead to 5-2.

Pitching was certainly the story Friday night. Joe Iorio entered in relief of Atkins in the sixth inning and struck out a pair in two scoreless innings of work.

Tyler Petsch took the ball from Iorio and held the Rangers in-check through the eighth, setting up the table for the Buccaneers’ closer Joeanthony Rivera.

Rivera worked a one-two-three ninth and fanned two hitters to earn his second save of the season.

Cole Croncke was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs, zero earned, in five innings.

Branden Shaw and Kellmann each drove in a run and added a pair of hits to pace the Buccaneer offense.

Barry and Wisconsin-Parkside return to action Saturday for a double-header starting at 1 p.m. Live-stat and video broadcast coverage will be available through Barry University’s athletics website, GOBARRYBUCS.COM.